Great Exhibition of the North, an 80 day celebration of the arts taking place in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Gateshead in North East England this summer, is shaping up to be the country's biggest cultural event of the year.

The exhibition, which runs until 9 September, will tell the inspiring story of the North of England and how its innovators, businesses, artists and designers have helped shaped the present and are inspiring our future. The event is expected to reach an audience of three million people, including more than one million visitors from across the UK and overseas.

Visitors will get the chance to enjoy the best in Northern creativity, from pop art pioneer Richard Hamilton to world-renowned sculptor Antony Gormley, and from British contemporary artist Damien Hirst with his trademark suspended shark, ‘Heaven’, to David Hockney’s acclaimed painting of Le Parc des Sources, Vichy. 

Great Exhibition of the North will also feature the return to the North East of Stephenson’s Rocket, one of Britain’s most famous feats of engineering; there will be a new solo exhibition from Turner Prize 2017 winner Lubaina Himid and the UK’s largest water sculpture will perform on the River Tyne every day throughout the exhibition.

BALTIC Centre and Gateshead Millennium Bridge © VisitBritain/AndrewPickett

The exhibition is centred around three iconic venues – Great North Museum, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and Sage Gateshead – as well as 30 world-class venues and public spaces on either side of the River Tyne.

Cllr Kim McGuinness, Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities at Newcastle City Council, said: “Great Exhibition of the North will be the go to event of the summer and we’re looking forward to welcoming the thousands of people planning to visit Newcastle and Gateshead from all over the world.

“The array of events showcasing innovation and culture will leave audiences enthused, inspired and entertained and it’s great that leading the way will be some of the North’s top artists and innovators. The Great Exhibition will highlight all that’s great about the North, past, present and future.”

Sage Gateshead and the Tyne Bridge © VisitEngland/NewcastleGateshead Initiative

Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, added: “Great Exhibition of the North is going to be a fantastic event and we’re looking forward the exciting range of activities that will be taking place in Newcastle and Gateshead this summer. The North of England is a hothouse of creative talent and this innovative exhibition will help to celebrate some of the region’s most important cultural achievements.”

The exhibition programme will also include a Business Summit to celebrate northern innovation and, on 9 September, the world’s largest half marathon, the Great North Run, will form the centrepiece of the closing weekend.

The Great Exhibition of the North is expected to bring a £184 million boost to the North East, showing how cultural investment can benefit and inspire entire communities.

If you or your group would like to enjoy the cultural highlights of the North East of England on a tailor-made tour of the UK, please do contact our friendly team today.